Emulsifying oil



Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EMULSIFYING OIL aware Nb Drawing. Application April 20, 1935, Serial No. 17.539

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a process of preparing a hydrocarbon oil with emulsifying properties particularly adapted to spraying on trees, foliage, fruit, etc. as a parasiticide, 6r insecticide. The compounded oil containing an oil soluble emulsifying agent is readily dispersable in water, providing a spray mix from which the full insecticidal effect can be obtained without harming the trees, foliage, fruit, etc. 10 The particular object of the invention is to in corporate in hydrocarbon oil an emulsifying agent of such stability that it can be combined" with water to give a so-called quick breaking type of emulsion during spray application. Another objectof the invention is to incorporate in hydrocarbon oil an emulsifying agent of such characteristics that it will remain almost indefinitely in its original form during the storage of the emulsifying oil and transportation thereof. The oil soluble material added to the mineral, or a. hydrocarbon oil, whether such comprises mainly saturated hydrocarbons or not, is a product obtained from the seed of the Telfairia pedata, or other species of the same genus, a tall climbing plant belongingto the Cucurbitaceae family, and indigenous to the coast of South-East Africa and the islands ofi the East African Coast. This oil is known as Koeme oil and is described in Lewkowitsch, Chemical Technology and Analysis of Oils, Fats and Waxes, sixth edition, Vol. II, pages 341 to 343. The specific properties of Koeme oilare its non-drying characteristics and complete solubility in mineral or hydrocarbon oils. In the manufacture of emulsifiable spray 3 oils for insecticidal purposes I have used a small amount of Koemeoil showing the following approximate characteristics:

Specific gravity 60 F Saponification value.... 185 40 Iodine value 104 Acetyl value 53. '7 Free fatty acids (calculated as oleic acid) per cent 26. 0 Refractive index at 20 C 1. 4731 The acetyl value of the oil, viz. 26.9, found by of emulsifier to be in the range of 0.1% to 10% Thoms, is due to the presence of the hydroxylated acid. As almost all of neutral fats and fatty oils are either simple tri-glycerides or the more'complex mixed tri-glycerides, it is probable that the Koeme oil is a mixture of simple and 5 mixed tri-glycerides and in addition contains free fatty acids of the same type forming the glycerides. Without attempting to go further into the chemistry of the subject I have discovered that this product can be used for the manufacture of 10 certain types of emulsifiable oil which can be used as an oil spray.

It has been found that this product gives satisfactory emulsification when incorporated in any typeof insecticidal oil varying from crude oil to 16 kerosene, but preferably, distillates of the range in viscosity from kerosene to lubricating oil as normally used in spray application. It should be understood that the type of oil can be either refined or unrefined and may be oil approaching 01' of medicinal oil quality. These latter types of oils are usually classified as technical white oils for spray purposes; although it may be desirable to utilize Koeme oil in almost any proportions as an emulsifying agent, I find the preferred amount by volume of the base oil to be made emulsifiable. In the manufacture of emulsifiable oil Koeme oil or the like is compounded with various kinds of oil heretofore described preferably by mixing at ordinary temperatures to obtain a uniform mix.

From the above description it will be clear that an emulsifiable spray oil non-injurious to plant life and highly toxic to all classes of insects may be formed by adding Koeme oil preferably in the percentages of 0.1% to 10% by volume, to a crude oil or more or less highly refined distillate thereof, to obtain a product easily dispersable in water with or without the addition of a spreader and 40 forming an emulsion of such characteristics that it is not of the so-called stable class but is an emulsion which reverts to the oil and water components substantially as quickly as it strikes the points of application thereby forming an oil film of the desired properties. Incorporated therewith may be a poison of such characteristics as not to be water soluble but to combine with the oil whereby an even distribution of poison in the oil film may be had.

It is also possible to subject Koeme oil or the like to a. polymerizing action involving heat treatment and/or Y oxidation thereby resulting in slightly different emulsifying properties, which Polymerization and/or oxidation is done in well- 5 known ways. It should be understood that this invention covers the use of Koeme oil or the like, or a polymerized and/or oxidized reaction product thereof, as an emulsifier for hydrocarbon oils of any character.

It should be understood that the type of emulsion obtained during spraying can be controlled and affected by the use of certain spreaders, such as sodium carbonate, sodium metasilicate, sodium phosphate, clays, albumens, caseins and its compounds, sodium hydroxide, lime, etc. With the selection of the proper spreader it is possible to obtain various types of emulsion varying from those of exceptionally quick breaking characteristics to the slow breaking form or more stable type. In the preparation of the spray mix which usually includes a combination of emulsifying oil, water, and spreader the emulsifying agent (Koeme oil or the like) is hydrolyzed by the alkalinity in the water or by the alkalinity contained in the particular kind of spreader or mixture thereof with the formation of a soap solution which increases the emulsifying action of the spray. For instance, the following mixture or spreader: sodium carbonate 10%, sodium metasilicate 20%, clay 70%, causes a hydrolysis of the heretofore mentioned emulsifying agent by the alkalinity of the sodium carbonate reacting with the constituents contained in the natural Koeme oil or the like, and further dispersion is assisted by a fine colloidal precipitate which results from the reaction of the aqueous solution of metasilicate and the natural constituents of Koeme oil. The clay in the above mentioned spreader is a further means of aiding dispersion and colloidal suspension which may take place.

In addition to the above mentioned spreaders it is also possible to control the degree of dispersion of oil in water by the use of other ingredients which may have insecticidal or fungicidal properties as well as spreading ability. Oil soluble compounds such as pine oil, copper resinate, cop per oleate, copper naphthenate, pyrethrum extract, nicotine and mixtures thereof, etc., have been used for this purpose. There are also other compounds which can be made to form a fine colloidal suspension in the emulsion and thereby serve a. similar purpose during the spray application. Compounds of the latter type are lead arsenate, calcium arsenate, copper arsenate, and the like, also the lead .spray oil serial disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 10,460 can be used for this purpose.

As there are a great many different methods of spray application, it seems desirable to mention at this time that the above described emulsifying oil with'or without the use of spreaders is suitable for spraying under all modes of application. With different types of spray equipment the rate of agitation and degree of dispersion obtained from the mixers, pumps, andnozzles are factors which often make it desirable to vary the quantities of oil, water, emulsifying agent, and perhaps spreader. With this invention it is possible to readily change one or more of these factors and accomplish spray application of widely variant characteristics. This is of particular benefit when spraying more sensitive type of foliage or fruit where the oil deposition must be carefully controlled to avoid an excessive amount of tree and fruit injury. It should a be borne in mind that the quantity of emulsifymg agent, kind of oil, and type and quantity of spreaders can also be used for controlling the for protection of the consumer.

deposition of toxic ingredients which may be incorporated, dissolved or suspended in the spray mix.

As the mineralization, particularly the alkalinity, of ordinary water used for spray purposes varies to a large extent in different localities, another feature of this invention is the ability to adapt a uniform grade of emulsifying oil with spreaders to any type of water. This is of great economic importance as it avoids the necessity of the shipping of readily prepared emulsions or emulsifying agent incorporated in various quantities into different grades of oil. In other words, the number of products made by the manufacturer can be reduced to a minimum and adjustments made at the point of spray mix for different types of application and different kinds of water containing more or less mineralization from the hardest to the softest water.

For example, an extremely hard water from Medford, Oregon, may require the use of l-5# per 100 gallons of spray mixof the following spreader: soda ash 20%, magnesium silicate 20%, sodium metasilicate 20%, powder of milk 40%. This gives exceptionally good dispersion in ordinary types of equipment where the dosage of emulsifying oil is from 1-5% and the water content from -99%. On the other hand a soft water approaching the distilled type may require much less spreader of a simpler type such as .1-1.0 pound of ordinary soda ash.

From the above discussion it is therefore evident that this invention provides an emulsiflable oil containing an emulsifying agent which can be hydrolized to any desired degree by water of various mineral contents. The spreaders used can give the water the particular mineral or alkalinity properties and further emulsiflcation may be'assisted by the use of other ingredients which may or may not be oil or water soluble. Furthermore, the control of the oil film and dispersion of oil in the water makes it possible to also adjust the coverage of toxic materials of insecticidal properties which may have incorporated in the spray mix either atthe time of spray application or previously.

The use of Koeme oil or the like as an emulsifying agent with, or without various types of spreaders, depending on the mineral content of the water used during spray application, provides a particularly uniform coverage of lead arsenate on fruit or foliage when the latter ingredient is properly incorporated in the spray mix.

In the spraying of deciduous trees such as those bearing apples in the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, an especially desirable type of emulsion is obtained with'the above described emulsifying agent and spreaders. It is also another feature that the lead arsenate and 011 deposit is of such a type that it can be readily removed by washing under the ordinary treatments recommended by various state and federal regulations. It is important that the lead arsenate can be removed from the fruit, asauniform coverage is necessary to protect the apples from worm infestation, and such removal is essential In the later seasons of the year nicotine, or its derivatives, is also used, for worm and pest control on deciduous trees and the particular type of quick breaking emulsion that can be obtained with the described emulsifying oil makes possible a maximum coverage of oil and nicotine and therefore an economic saving in the application of these types of insecticides. 1

As the art of spraying is well-known it appears unnecessary to describe the exact technique which may be used with the various types of spray application. For details on this we refer to various state and government bulletins which have been published on this subject and the particular kind of emulsifying oil and spreaders as described in this invention are readily adaptable by anyone reasonably skilled in the art of spraying.

I claim as my invention:

1. An emulsifiable oil comprising: a hydrocarbon oil compounded with Koeme oil.

2. An emulsifiable oil comprising: a hydrocarbon oil compounded with a polymerized Koeme oil.

3. An emulsifiable oil comprising: a hydrocarbon oil compounded with an oxidized Koeme oil.

4. An emulsifiable oil comprising: a hydrocarbon oil compounded with about 0.1% to 10% of Koeme oil.

persion in water of hydrocarbon oil compounded with about from 0.1% to 10% of Koeme oil and containing an oil soluble spreader.

7. An insecticidal emulsion comprising: a dispersion in water of hydrocarbon oil compounded with about from 0.1% to 10% of Koeme oil and containing an oil soluble insect poison.

8. An insecticidal emulsion comprising: a dispersion in water of hydrocarbon oil compounded with Koeme oil in an amount from 0.1% to 10% of the volume of the hydrocarbon oil and the water containing a water soluble alkaline spreader.

ARTHUR GUSTAV KAUFMANN. 

